
Tour Schedule
*Please Note:
- All tours depart from the Blue Gate Garden Inn hotel lobby and return to the Blue Gate Garden Inn
- All tours require advance reservations with confirmed tickets
- Reserve tours with registration here.
- All tours have a maximum capacity of 23 people per tour.
- Tours include lunch as described.
- All tours include a local expert professional guide.
- Tour reservation deadline is by May 1, 2025.
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Tour 1:
A Day in the Life of an Amish Housewife Tour
Pick up Box Lunch at the Wisteria Room at Noon, Arrive in lobby at 12:15 p.m., Depart at 12:30, Return to lobby at 5 p.m.
Ever wonder what it is like to be an Amish woman in today’s modern world? This tour will introduce you to some of the nicest, smartest, engaged, and entrepreneurial women of the Amish community. You will go inside a home, a Dawdy house, a cottage shop kitchen, and a one-room school. Surprises, treats, delights, and enlightenments will be experienced along the way.
Tour 2:
Meet the Makers in Amish Country Tour
Pick up Box Lunch at the Wisteria Room at Noon, Arrive in lobby at 12:15 p.m., Depart at 12:30, Return to lobby at 5 p.m.
The Heart of Amish Country Indiana thrives with a rare abundance of extraordinarily talented and skilled artisans, craftsmen, woodworkers, furniture makers, specialty food crafts and a large variety of other products. Meet four of these Makers and experience their workmanship first-hand. Make and take a memorable treasure. Shop in their cottage shops.
Tour 3:
Buggies & Bison Tour
Arrive in the lobby at 12:15 p.m., Depart at 12:30, Return to lobby at 5 p.m.
Two unique American legendary experiences await as we traverse the backroads to a working Bison Ranch, feast on a hearty chuckwagon buffet lunch and ride a covered wagon through the ranch to the 480 head of bison grazing in the fields.
Then, tour the shop of an Amish buggy maker and see the various stages of buggies currently being made for orders from the Plain community he serves.
WEDNESDAY, May 21, 2025
Tour 1:
A Taste of Shipshewana Tour
Arrive in lobby by 8 a.m., Departs at 8:15 a.m., Returns to lobby at Noon
Calling all Foodies! Put your stretchy pants on, indulge your sweet (and savory) tooth as you check out some tasty local eats that will melt in your mouth. This tour is designed with you in mind as you sample, shop, learn and enjoy the scrumptious foods of the local culture. You will visit an Amish country store owner, see honeybees at work in an observation hive and watch noodles being made onsite in this local favorite. Then ‘twist your morning away’ by making your own hand-rolled soft pretzel, then delight in the story of the Amish fried pie.
Tour 2:
Bidding and Bargains Tour
Arrive in lobby by 7:30 a.m., Departs at 7:45 a.m., Returns to lobby at Noon
This tour starts with an Auction 101 class to teach you insider secrets to bidding. You will have an opportunity to put your new skills to the test at the 10-ring Antique Auction. From there, shop ‘til you drop’ and satisfy your retail therapy needs at the Midwest’s largest Flea Market with its almost 40-acre, 700 booths filled with everything from locally made and handcrafted to ‘amazon-like bargains’. Various themed shopping trails are offered to assist you in this BIG adventure.
Tour 3:
Once Upon A Farm Tour
Arrive in lobby at 7:45 a.m., Departs at 8 a.m., Returns to lobby at Noon
Visit with Mervin Yoder, a successful Amish businessman, who is proud to show you his fully restored vast collection of antique tractors and other original pieces of farm equipment. Old Teddy, his faithful dog, may meander up to show us how he can churn butter. We will then visit an Amish hay farmer who utilizes both modern day and old school farming methods and equipment. Finally, we venture to a working Amish Dairy Farm which has won international awards for their famous flavored whole milk.
Thursday, May, 22, 2025
Tour 1:
From Golden Domes to Dinosaurs, a South Bend, Indiana tour experience
Arrive in the lobby at 8:45 a.m., Departs at 9 a.m., Returns to hotel at 4 p.m.
Welcome to The Bend – home of the University of Notre Dame! We are glad you are here and are excited to showcase the familiar as well as new attractions South Bend, Mishawaka, and all of St. Joseph County, Indiana have to offer. Join us for a day trip, which includes a short hour-long drive from Shipshewana. We’ll start the day exploring the University of Notre Dame. From the initial overview video at the Eck Welcome Center, you will be immersed in the beauty and glory of this famous institution. From there you can join the guided tour, explore via their app on a self-guided tour, or relax in the visitors’ center. After about two hours, we’ll make the quick 15-minute drive to South Bend’s newest attraction, the Indiana Dinosaur Museum. You can enjoy lunch at the third iteration of the South Bend Public House, the newest restaurant of the South Bend Chocolate Company. Once full, you can get some steps in as you explore the campus. Combined with the South Bend Chocolate Company, this destination sits upon nearly 100 acres of rolling hills atop the Continental Divide. Complete with a farmers’ market, you can tour the family-friendly Dinosaur Museum and or indulge in some chocolate after taking the tour through the factory. Make sure to see the bison and Notre Dame overlook as stops on the hayride tour. Before the bus ride back to Shipshewana, you can enjoy a dessert reception to savor the last few minutes in The Bend before your next visit.
Tour 2:
Rollin’ on the River…an outdoor experience on the Pigeon River
Arrive in the lobby at 8:45 a.m., Departs at 9 a.m., Returns to lobby at 3:30 p.m.
All paddles and equipment are provided.
There will be 3 options to choose from Single kayak (1 person), Double kayak (2 people), and Canoe (2 people).
Welcome to Trading Post Outfitters in Mongo, Indiana where the best of nature and adventure converge. Since 1971, we’ve been facilitating unparalleled outdoor experiences, leaving our guests to explore our diverse river trips and scenic campground while immersing yourself in the beauty of the Pigeon River Fish & Wildlife Area. Surrounded by lush landscapes and the calls of native wildlife, you’ll discover why this family-friendly escape is more than just a place to paddle—it’s a wonderful window into Indiana’s great outdoors. Whether you seek a short, tranquil paddle or a long weekend retreat from the city, our idyllic setting invites you to create lasting memories out in the fresh air. A visit to Trading Post Outfitters is the perfect choice for a nature-infused, relaxing, and joy-filled day on the river.
Tour 3:
Hometown Treasures Discovery Tour
Arrive in the lobby at 8:15 a.m., Departs at 8:30 a.m., Returns to lobby at 5:15 p.m.
This fun Discovery Tour is one of a kind. It will take a behind the scenes tour of the top five Hometown Treasures of Shipshewana that make this destination one of the most uniquely diverse award-winning Destinations in the country while blending the old with the new. Each participant will be given a ‘Clue Card’ with riddles, information and clues that uncover the grass root origins of a place like no other. Your tour guide will lead you to unique locations throughout the area, and provide access, interviews, insights, and treasures not available to the average visitor. The immersive Discovery Tour will be entertaining, endearing, and enticing as you uncover the rich, behind the scenes stories from the visionary stakeholders who have created these Hometown Treasures of Shipshewana. Participants will complete the Clue Card with the information and insights revealed at each stop. At the end…A Sleuth Treasure Bag to take home!